Sociodemographic and clinical profile of patients with prostate cancer treated at the Liga Contra el Cancer Hospital, San Pedro Sula, Honduras (2014-2018)

Abstract

Introduction: Prostate cancer is the 2nd most diagnosed cancer, with around 1.4 mi lion new cases and it is estimated that by 2040 these numbers wi l increase by 71.6% and 97.1% in incidence and mortality, respectively, with greater increase in Latin America and Africa. In Honduras, it represents the leading cause of mortality from cancer in men. The chance of developing prostate cancer increases as a person ages. It has not been possible to attribute the etiology of prostate cancer to a specific causal agent, it is currently considered a multifactorial disease, however, advanced age, race, and genetic inheritance are wel-established contributing variables. Methodology: Patients with a diagnosis of prostate cancer undergoing treatment at the Liga Contra el Cancer Hospital were investigated during the period from 2014 to 2018, carrying out an observational, descriptive and retrospective study using clinical records. Results: The mean age was 70 years, in an age range of 61-70 years, 68.9% of cases came from urban areas, clinical stage 4 was the most frequent, the histological type was adenocarcinoma, the most common treatment used was radiotherapy plus hormone therapy. Most patients in clinical stage 4 with bone metastasis. Discussion: Prostate cancer is a multifactorial disease, with nonspecific symptoms and different behavior between races and regions of the world. In the present study, information was colected from clinical records of 116 patients with a diagnosis of prostate cancer, the majority from the north-western region of the country, rural areas, mixed race, married, 42.2% with clinical stage 4. 33.75% had a Gleason score less than 6 and 75.96% had a PSA greater than 20 ng/ml. This information highlights the importance of improving early diagnosis strategies, such as health brigades aimed at older adults, from vulnerable geographic areas, to achieve more timely detection.